Explore wonderful French weather words to talk about seasons

Weather is a topic that often comes up in daily conversations, and having the right vocabulary to describe it can be incredibly useful. Many words and expressions in French describe different weather conditions, from sunny and rainy to windy and snowy.

In this blog post, we’ll explore various French weather words and phrases to help you expand your vocabulary and confidently discuss the weather in French-speaking countries.

100+ French weather words

Learning basic French words can give you the confidence to start speaking a foreign language in public. From everyday weather terms to extreme weather conditions, these terms can expand your vocabulary and enable you to start talking about the weather conditions in French.

Everyday weather terms in French

	English	French
Present tense	It’s raining.	Il pleut.
Past tense	It rained yesterday.	Il a plu hier.
Future tense	It will rain next week.	Il va pleuvoir la semaine prochaine.
Present tense	It’s sunny.	Il fait soleil.
Past tense	It was sunny this morning.	Il faisait soleil ce matin.
Future tense	It will be sunny this weekend.	Il fera soleil ce weekend.

You must also learn the days of the week in French to discuss weather conditions. The list below carries common weather terminologies that you encounter daily:

English	French
Sunny	Ensoleillé
Cloudy	Nuageux
Rainy	Pluvieux
It’s raining	Il pleut
It’s snowing	Il neige
It’s hailing	Il grêle
Sleet	Grésil
Windy	Venté
Overcast	Couvert
Fog	Brouillard
Stormy	Orageux
Partly cloudy	Partiellement nuageux
Blue sky	Ciel bleu
Pouring	Pluie diluvienne
Scattered showers	Averses éparses
Sunrise	Lever du soleil
Sunset	Coucher de soleil
Dusk	Crépuscule
Dawn	Aube

Extreme weather conditions in French

Learning to talk about extreme weather conditions abroad is a lifesaver. You must learn the terminologies below to discuss extreme weather conditions in French.

	English	French
Present tense	A hurricane is coming.	Un ouragan arrive.
Past tense	There was a hurricane yesterday.	Il y a eu un ouragan hier.
Future tense	There will be a hurricane tomorrow.	Il va y avoir un ouragan demain.
Present tense	There’s a heatwave now.	C’est la canicule en ce moment.
Past tense	There was a heatwave last week.	C’était la canicule la semaine dernière.
Future tense	There will be a heatwave this weekend.	Ce sera la canicule ce week-end.

Now check out different vocabulary words for extreme weather events:

English	French
Hurricane	Ouragan
Cyclone	Cyclone
Cold front	Front froid
Heatwave	Canicule
Flood	Inondation
Typhoon	Typhon
Thunderstorm	Orage
Tornado	Tornade
Downpour	Averse
Thunder	Tonnerre
Lightning	Foudre
Whiteout	Voile blanc
Frost	Gelée
Drought	Sécheresse
Avalanche	Avalanche
Snow storm	Tempête de neige
Deluge	Déluge
Sand storm	Tempête de sable

Talking about temperature in French

English	French
It’s hot	Il fait chaud
It’s cold	Il fait froid
It’s wet outside	C’est humide dehors
It’s nice outside	Il fait bon dehors
It’s humid	C’est humide
It’s dry	C’est sec
It’s x degrees	Il fait x degrés
It’s minus x degrees	Il fait moins x degrés
Celsius	Celsius
Fahrenheit	Fahrenheit
It’s freezing	Il gèle
It’s very hot	Il fait très chaud
Room temperature	Température ambiante
It’s chilly	Il fait frais
It’s a lovely day	C’est une belle journée
It’s warm	Il fait bon
It’s below freezing	La température est en dessous de zéro
It’s scorching hot	Il fait une chaleur torride
The temperature rose	La température a monté
The temperature dropped	La température a baissé
It’s stifling	C’est étouffant
It’s oppressing	C’est oppressant

Other significant weather words in French

English	French
Weather forecast	Prévisions météorologiques/météo
Meteorology	Météorologie
Bad weather	Mauvais temps
Good weather	Beau temps
Extreme weather event	Événement météorologique extrême
Climate change	Changement climatique
Global warming	Réchauffement de la planète
Sea surface temperature	Température de surface de la mer
Wind warning	Vent violent
Squall	Bourrasque
Shower	Averse
Flurry	Tourbillon
Gust	Rafale
Precipitation	Précipitations
Atmospheric pressure	Pression atmosphérique
High pressure	Haute pression
Low pressure	Basse pression
Trough	Dépression
Warm front	Front chaud
Wind direction	Direction du vent
Rainbow	Arc-en-ciel
Blizzard	Blizzard
Sunshine	Soleil
Mist	Brume
Clear	Clair
Ice	Glace
Unstable weather in March (rain, sun, sleet)	Giboulées de mars
Drizzle	Bruine
Breeze	Brise
Gale	Grand vent
Thermometer	Thermomètre
Barometer	Baromètre
Celsius	Celsius
Fahrenheit	Fahrenheit
Air conditioning	Climatisation
Flurries	Rafales
Frostbite	Engelure
Heat stroke	Coup de chaleur
Sweating	Transpiration
Meteorologist	Météorologue
Puddle	Flaque d’eau
Raindrop	Goutte de pluie
Season	Saison
Smog	Smog
Sunburn	Coup de soleil
Sunglasses	Lunettes de soleil
Suntan	Bronzage
Sunscreen	Crème solaire/écran solaire
Umbrella	Parapluie
Parasol	Parasol
UV	UV
Wind chill	Refroidissement éolien
Mild weather	Temps doux
Changeable weather	Temps changeant
Slush	Pluie-neige
Drenched	Trempé
Thunderclap	Coup de tonnerre
Bolt of lightning	Éclair
Haze	Brume
Dew	Rosée
Whirlwind	Tourbillon
Tide	Marée
Air	Air
Air pollution	Pollution de l’air
Air mass	Masse d’air
Air pressure	Pression de l’air
Aurora	Aurore
Northern lights	Aurore boréale
Southern lights	Aurore australe
Cumulus	Cumulus
Cumulonimbus	Cumulonimbus
Cirrus	Cirrus
Beaufort wind scale	Échelle de vent de Beaufort
Condensation	Condensation
Dew point	Point de rosée
Greenhouse effect	Effet de serre
Halo	Halo
Stalactites	Stalactites
Stalactites	Stalactites
Monsoon	Mousson
Ozone	Ozone
Snow level	Niveau de la neige
Stratosphere	Stratosphère
Temperate	Tempéré
Tropical	Tropicale
Subtropical	Subtropicale
Arctic	Arctique
Turbulence	Turbulence
Vapor	Vapeur
Cold spell	Coup de froid

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Frequently asked questions

How do you say “weather” in French?

“Weather” in French is “le temps.”

How do you express that there is a storm in French?

You can say “Il y a de l’orage” to express that there is a storm in French.

What is the French word for “forecast”?

The French word for “forecast” is “prévision” or “prévision météo.”

Conclusion

Weather is a common topic of conversation, and knowing the right vocabulary can help you engage in discussions about the weather with French speakers. By learning these French weather words and expressions, you’ll be better equipped to describe various weather conditions and understand weather forecasts when visiting French-speaking regions.

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